John Dougill writes…

Few WiK members will be aware that in a sense Writers in Oxford is our parent organisation. Not in any formal basis, but simply as a source of inspiration. The links go back to 1993, when I had returned to Oxford after a six year spell in Japan and heard of an organisation for writers which had started up the year before. Since I’d published textbooks and a couple of guidebooks to Oxford, I signed up and was flattered to find myself among such luminaries as Philip Pullman and Brian Aldiss.

During my year in Oxford, I attended several functions, including a dinner talk with an agent, an informal open house, a quiz and a punting party. The emphasis was on friendly socialising and writerly camaraderie. I got to know novelists like Sara Banerjee and non-fiction writers like Jennie Hampton, both of whom I believe are still active members of WiO 26 years later.

After returning to Japan, I spent a few happy years researching and writing a cultural history of Kyoto, and subsequently wrote books on other aspects of Japanese culture. Then one day in 2014 a friend mentioned over a game of chess that several of his acquaintances were writers and that it would be good to have some kind of regular get-together. My mind immediately went back to Writers in Oxford, as I’d enjoyed the sense of community it brought to what is often a lonely activity.

For a while half a dozen of us met in my university office to discuss matters related to writing. We took it in turn to give presentations, but pretty soon it became evident that we were running out of steam. Something needed to change, and so we tried an online grouping instead. The idea was to keep it loose and commitment free, so that members could participate as little or as much as they wished. Most people in Kyoto have busy lives, and on any given day there is sure to be something special going on in the city, so flexibility was a key part of the set-up.

We were given a huge boost in our first years thanks to Eric Johnston, a leading journalist with the Japan Times, who not only provided us with contact to famous authors in Tokyo but to those willing to visit Kyoto. In addition, he single-handedly took on the editing of our first Anthology (see here). In this way we were able to host such illustrious writers as Robert Whiting and Karel van Wolferen.

There were magical evenings too, such as the Allen Weiss reading at Robert Yellin’s gallery, with candlelight and shakuhachi to enhance the atmosphere. Another very special event was WW1 poetry reading on July 1, 2016 in commemoration of the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. Along with readings of 11 poets by 11 different readers was a singalong of WW1 songs led by Felicity Greenland. As for book launches, two outstanding events were those of Another Kyoto by Alex Kerr in a stunning old machiya in the geisha district of Kamishichiken and a photo exhibit of Zen Gardens and Temples of Kyoto by photographer John Einarsen.

Other events in the past couple of years have included Robert Yellin on Japanese ceramics; a Basho symposium with invited speakers; Justin McCurry of The Guardian; Mark Richardson reading his poetry and sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of Robert Frost; a dinner talk with famed translator Juliet Winters Carpenter; and meetings with Eric Oey, head of Tuttle, premier English-language publisher for East Asia.

Along the way we’ve published an Anthology of members’ writings and run a Competition aimed at representing Kyoto in a fresh way in 300 words. The winning entries have been posted on our website as well as published in our Anthology. We know we’ll never be as big as our parent organisation (220 members to our 42), and in comparison to its 26 years we are but a child of four, but let us hope that in some way we have achieved something of which our parent organisation may be proud. After all, unlike the dreaming aspirers of Oxford, we strive to make the English language flower within the rock gardens of Japaneseness.

For a paper on the similarities of the two cities, please see ‘Oxford and Kyoto: Mirror Images?‘

Conditions and terms for this year’s Anthology and Competition will be announced in the coming weeks. The Anthology is open to paid-up members only; the Competition is open to all.